They will say it's elementary
by thegirl20
Summary: Some moments with the Amnell-Mason family. Pure, unadulterated fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Kahlan enters the bedchamber far later than intended. The business of court had overrun until eventually Kahlan had commanded that the nobles all disband and return the following day, willing to cooperate. It is rare that Kahlan allows the working day to creep past the established routine she'd set upon her return to Aydindril. As important as being the Mother Confessor is to her, she has other roles which she values just as highly, if not more so.

When Cara turns to greet her with their baby resting against her shoulder, Kahlan's working day melts into insignificance. Cara smiles, though Kahlan can see strain shining through. She makes her way over and kisses Cara's lips, before dropping a soft kiss on the head of wavy blonde hair on her shoulder, leaving her nose buried in the soft tresses for a moment.

"Why's she still up?" Kahlan whispers, stroking the baby's back, her hand touching Cara's with every movement.

"Not still. Again," Cara tells her. "Teeth."

She doesn't need to elaborate. Sofia has been teething for a few weeks and both Cara and Kahlan have gone without sleep over that period. Kahlan glances over Cara's shoulder at a little lump under the covers of their bed. She quirks an eyebrow.

"And why's that one in our bed?" she asks, with an indulgent smile.

Cara sighs. "Because _this_ one woke _that_ one with her crying and she wanted to sleep in here."

"And you couldn't say no to her?" Kahlan guesses, correctly, if Cara's scowl is anything to go by.

"I was too tired to argue," she huffs.

Kahlan could tease her about a mighty Mord'Sith being worn out by teething troubles, but she doesn't, because she knows Cara. And she knows that now is not a time for teasing. She places a kiss on Cara's nose.

"Put her down and then come back to me."

Cara raises an eyebrow at the instruction, but does as she's told. She places the toddler by her sister on the bed, sweeping raven hair off Sonia's forehead and dropping a kiss there, before doing the same with Sofia. She pulls the covers snugly around them and then heads back to Kahlan. Kahlan smiles and as soon as Cara's close enough, she tugs her into her arms, holding her tightly.

"I miss you when I have to work," she mumbles into her shoulder, the smell of Cara relaxing her and working her up all at once.

"I miss you when Sofia is screaming for her Mama," Cara mutters in return, but the thumb gently stroking Kahlan's back negates any ill-feeling in the words and Kahlan grins into Cara's neck.

"Only then?" she asks, nipping at Cara's earlobe with her teeth.

"Some other times," Cara admits, tilting her head to give Kahlan better access.

"What other times?" Kahlan enquires, kissing Cara's pulse point, feeling it flutter under her lips.

"Every time I breathe," Cara whispers, and suddenly Kahlan's pulse is the one fluttering.

She lifts her head and looks into Cara's eyes. She shakes her head in wonder, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she asks, her voice a little thick.

"Something terrible, obviously," Cara retorts, eager to avoid tears if she can help it.

It works, Kahlan laughs and kisses her soundly. She feels her body grow aroused, but pulls her lips away from Cara's to a grunt of displeasure.

"I think you'll find that there are a couple of child shaped obstacles in our bed," Kahlan chastises. "I don't want you getting me all excited and then not being able to deliver on it."

"You know me, Mother Confessor," Cara drawls, and Kahlan shivers at the way she can make her title sound like a seduction. "I _always_ deliver."

Kahlan groans at the look in Cara's eye. It is not an innocent look. It is a 'I'm going to have you and you have very little say in the matter' look. Kahlan knows it well.

"Cara, you're exhausted."

The gleam in Cara's eye changes and Kahlan realises that she's just issued Cara a challenge. Now Cara will _not_ rest until she has thoroughly ravished Kahlan at least twice. Kahlan sighs.

"Not in here," she warns. "I don't want them traumatised."

Cara rolls her eyes but runs her hands down Kahlan's back and hooks them behind her thighs, lifting. Kahlan automatically wraps her legs around Cara's waist, settling her weight against the other woman who accepts it with minimal effort. Cara angles her head to meet Kahlan's lips as she walks in the direction of the small antechamber just off their main chambers. She's barely lifted her leg to kick the door open when a small voice calls out.

"Mama?"

Cara freezes and Kahlan breaks the kiss, looking over Cara's shoulder to where Sofia is sitting up, rubbing her eyes. Cara doesn't have to look and she sighs, letting go of Kahlan's legs and letting her stand on the ground.

"Hey baby!" Kahlan says, a grin splitting her face. She pulls Cara close, dropping a kiss of apology on her cheek. Sofia is fighting her way out of the covers and crawling across the bed and Kahlan moves to meet her, scooping her up into her arms and hugging her. The tiny blonde snuggles against Kahlan, obviously still tired. Cara comes to join them, collapsing into the bed and climbing under the covers, throwing an arm over Sonia's hip.

Kahlan rocks Sofia and hums softly near her ear. She sits down on the edge of the bed, watching as Sonia turns over and smooshes her face against Cara's. Kahlan smiles as Cara grimaces, but doesn't move. Soon Sofia's breathing has evened out and Kahlan stands and places her back in the bed. She starts to unlace her confessor dress, knowing full well that Cara's eyes are on her. She loves the way Cara looks at her body, softened though it is by two pregnancies. She undresses quickly, eager to be in bed with her family.

She slips her corset off, leaving herself naked and from the corner of her eye she spots movement. Before she has time to turn around, Cara's arms are around her waist, a hand splayed across her belly, the other coming to rest just below her breasts. Kahlan's eyes close of their own accord.

"Cara…" she breathes.

"I know," Cara says. "I just need to hold you."

Kahlan turns in Cara's arms. "That can be arranged," she says. And then, because she cannot help it. "I love you."

"And I love you," Cara replies with an ease that Kahlan would never have dreamed of a few years ago.

Kahlan brushes her knuckles over Cara's cheek, looking into her eyes. "Let me get dressed then you can hold me for as long as you like."

Cara reaches past Kahlan for her sleeping shift and helps her to put it on. Then she drags her to a chair by the fire. Cara sits down and pulls Kahlan into her lap in one graceful movement. Kahlan curls around Cara and sighs. This is happiness.


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner passes uneventfully until dessert arrives. It is summer fruits pie, which is everybody's favourite, so there is much excitement which quickly fades into silence as they all tuck into their portions. Kahlan glances at her youngest and shakes her head. Sofia is struggling to remove her hair from where it has become tangled in the red fruit on her spoon. Kahlan gets out of her chair and goes to help, using her nails to scrape the remnants off strands of hair.

"Your pretty golden hair is going to turn pink, if you're not careful," she teases, pressing a kiss to Sofia's sticky cheek.

She takes her seat again and notices that Sonia has that look about her. The one that usually appears before some sort of trouble happens. Cara has noticed it too.

"Don't even _think_ about turning your sister's hair pink," she warns, raising an eyebrow at the little brunette.

"I...wasn't!" Sonia protests, glaring at her mother before shovelling another spoonful of pie into her mouth.

"I may not be a confessor, but I know _that_ was a lie," Cara says, hiding a smile.

Sonia huffs and continues to chew. Cara looks over at Kahlan and shakes her head. Their eldest is a handful. Kahlan jokes that she's inherited Cara's stubbornness and Cara thinks that she's as headstrong as Kahlan. They both agree that she'll be a formidable woman someday.

"Oh!" Sonia shouts. "I just remembered, I have a question from school."

"What's your question, sweetie?" Kahlan asks, happy that Sonia wants to discuss her schoolwork.

While she's a bright girl, she gets bored easily and has very little patience for things she sees no purpose for. And when she's bored, she tends to find things to do that are not appropriate for school. Kahlan feels sorry for the poor teacher who has to sit, trembling, in front of the Mother Confessor and her consort and tell them that their daughter has been in trouble, again.

"How do you get a baby?"

Kahlan's smile freezes and she looks at her wife to find Cara's eyes wide with panic. Sonia is still a baby herself, she shouldn't be asking these questions.

"Uh...what were you learning about at school that's made you wonder about that?" Kahlan prompts, gently.

"My classmate, you know Clara? She said she got a new baby brother and I asked where they got him, 'cause I'd like a brother, and she said he was inside her mommy's belly and then somebody came and took him out." Sonia pauses, turning to her sister and appraising her. "Is...is that how we got Sofia? I don't remember..."

"No!" Sofia says, making a face. "I wasn't in anybody's belly!"

Cara laughs at the exchange and Kahlan smiles, a little of the tension leaving her.

"Oh, but you were, missy," Cara says, leaning over to ruffle Sofia's hair. "You were in mama's belly."

The little blonde looks over at Kahlan, her eyes dropping to her abdomen.

"How did I fit?" she whispers, in a mixture of awe and horror.

"Oh, sweetheart," Kahlan says, holding in her laughter and giving Cara a stern look. "You were just a tiny baby." She holds her hands up, about a foot apart, to indicate how big Sofia was.

Sofia looks up at her mother, her lip trembling. "Did you _eat_ me? Is that how I got in there?"

Kahlan stands and picks Sofia up off her seat, squeezing her in a tight hug and looking at Cara over her shoulder.

"No, baby," she says. "I didn't eat you."

"Then how _did_ she get in?" Sonia pushes. "And how did she get _out_?"

"You were in there too, you know," Cara puts in, grinning as this sinks in with Sonia.

"Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else?" Kahlan suggests, settling Sofia a bit more comfortably on her hip. "The servants will want to clear away the dishes and you two need to get ready for bed."

Sonia looks at her mother in suspicion.

"This isn't going to be one of those times that after we get cleaned up and our nightgowns on you say that it's too late to talk and we have to go to bed, is it?"

Kahlan narrows her eyes playfully at Sonia. "No, cheeky, it isn't. Now get moving."

Sonia is up and running in the direction of the door without the need for further prompting. Sofia rests her head against her mother's and sucks on her thumb. Cara gets up and comes over to kiss Kahlan's lips before dropping a kiss on Sofia's cheek.

"I, uh, told Branley that I'd observe the night drills this evening," she says, pointing over her shoulder as she backs up in the direction of the door.

Kahlan shakes her head with a smile. "No, no, my darling wife," she says, a twinkle in her eye. "This evening you will be nowhere near the night drills. You will be with me and our daughters. Answering their questions."

Cara sighs, but there's a smile on her face.

"Yes, dear."

*

Both little confessors are clean and wearing crisp white nightgowns. They are seated on the edge of Sofia's bed, their eyes as wide as plates as their mothers attempt to explain where babies come from.

"...and so, when two people are very much in love, and have talked about their future, and decide that they want to have a baby...the baby gets put into the mother." Kahlan says, hoping that 'put in' will be explanation enough.

Sofia's forehead scrunches up in confusion. "How do they pick the mommy that gets the baby put in her?"

Sonia nudges her. "Other people only have one mother," she says, her two extra years giving her a world of wisdom that she occasionally deigns to share with her sister. She turns back to her parents. "But yeah, how did you pick who got the baby put in? And who put it in? And how did they put it in?"

Kahlan bites back a groan and turns to Cara. "Honey, do you want to chip in?"

Cara glances at the children, who have turned to her expectantly.

"No, I think you're doing fine," she decides, bestowing a glorious smile on her wife.

"_Cara_," Kahlan says, through a smile that is more like gritted teeth. "Contribute."

Cara sighs and turns back to her daughters, a thoughtful look on her face. Then she brightens.

"Okay, remember when we went away to see Aunt Dennee last year and we saw the field full of cows and that big one jumped on the back of the oth-"

"_Cara_!" Kahlan yelled, startling everyone in the room.

"What?" Cara asks. "I was telling them ab-"

"_I_ will tell them," Kahlan says, trying to decide whether or not Cara had done that on purpose. It was still difficult to tell, sometimes.

"Girls, when people want to have a baby, and they are a man and a lady, the man puts a seed inside the lady and it grows into a baby," Kahlan says, finally.

"Like when we plant seeds in the garden and they turn into flowers?" Sofia asks.

"Yes, just like that," Kahlan agrees.

"What about when it's two ladies? Like you two?" Sonia asks, still not looking entirely convinced by the 'seed' explanation.

"Well, we needed a little help," Cara says, trying to make up for her earlier input. "So grandpa Zedd did some magic and we got the two of you."

Kahlan smiles, reaching over to lace her fingers through Cara's.

"And we decided that I would have you in my belly because Mommy has a very tough job and we didn't want either of you getting hurt," Kahlan explains, still smiling at Cara. She didn't bother to add that the prospect of a pregnant Cara was too terrifying for anyone to contemplate.

"And you just get to sit in a big chair all day so it was better for you to have us?" Sonia asks, causing Cara to smother a laugh.

"Something like that," Kahlan says, tweaking her eldest's nose.

"It's past bedtime," Cara says. "The two of you should be fast asleep."

Sonia rolls her eyes and Sofia scrambles to get under the covers, ready to be tucked in. Kahlan and Cara stand, Kahlan moves around to Sonia's bed, tapping her foot until the little girl drags herself over and under the covers. Cara tucks Sofia in and presses a kiss to her forehead. The little blonde wraps her arms around her mother's neck and holds her close so that she can whisper in her ear.

"Are you gonna have more babies?" It's loud enough that Kahlan and Sonia hear too and they both look to Cara for an answer.

Cara glances at Kahlan with an eyebrow raised.

"I...don't know," she admits. "It's something me and mama would need to talk about."

Sofia nods, her brow creased up in thought. "But if you did, you'd still like me and Sonia, right?" she asks, worried. "You wouldn't like the baby best?"

Kahlan covers her mouth to hide her smile and Cara rubs her nose against Sofia's.

"No, we wouldn't like any new baby better than you and Sonia," she confirms. "We didn't stop liking Sonia when you came along, did we?"

Sonia looks like she might be about to say something, but is silenced by a warning glare from Kahlan.

"I guess not," Sofia says. "Okay, you can have a baby."

"Thank you for your blessing," Cara murmurs.

"A _brother_," Sonia interjects.

Kahlan strokes her hair. "Sweetie, if we have another baby, it'll be a sister."

"But I already have one of those." Sonia grumbles.

"Two girls can't make a boy," Cara tells her. "So it's a sister or nothing."

"Fine," Sonia says, snuggling under her covers with a yawn. "I guess a sister is okay."

Cara and Kahlan exchange a look, before kissing both girls goodnight and leaving the room. Once in their own chamber, Cara leans back against the door and watches Kahlan get ready for bed.

"Do you want another baby?" she asks.

Kahlan looks up with a soft smile. "Do you?"

Cara grins. "We make good babies. I like the babies we make." She still isn't overly keen on other people's babies.

"We do," Kahlan agrees, sauntering over and pressing herself against her wife.

Cara's hands find Kahlan's hips, tugging her even closer. "And you, somehow, manage to be even _more_ beautiful when you're pregnant."

Kahlan beams. Even at her biggest, when she was feeling bloated and ugly, all Cara had to do was look at her and she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Maybe we should think it over for a little while. And while we do..." She starts unbuttoning Cara's shirt. "...we can practise."


End file.
